In the modern tradition of performing bodies releasing CDs on their
own labels it is usual for such releases to consist of live recordings. This
Mariinsky reading of Das Rheingold appears to be something very much
closer to a studio recording, assembled from seven sessions held over an
extended period of nearly two years. There’s no evidence of a live
audience at any point; no applause at the end, for example. The performances
were held not in the dry acoustic of the Mariinsky Theatre itself but in the
more resonant Concert Hall of the theatre, and the results display the sound
of the orchestra to better advantage than in the series of live theatre
recordings they made for Philips during the 1990s and 2000s.

Whereas in their earlier release of Die Walküre the
Mariinsky employed a number of major Wagner stars from the international
circuit, here, apart from two roles, their Rheingold is cast entirely
from within the company itself, with it has to be confessed somewhat mixed
results. Gergiev has garnered a fair number of critical brickbats over the
years for his Wagner interpretations. Even here it must be admitted that
some of his choices of speed - and the variations within them - are somewhat
unorthodox. At the same time these choices can all be justified by reference
to their musical or dramatic context, and only at one point - as Loge
describes the Giants’ abduction of Freia (CD 1, track 12 2.10) - is
there any sense of undue haste, with the singer simply unable properly to
articulate the text at the speed chosen. Even the rather rapid traversal of
the final pages can be regarded as a reflection of the tawdry nature of the
Gods’ triumph at this point, although the internal orchestral balance
between the Rainbow Bridge and the Valhalla themes is not ideal. More
serious is the underweighting of the string lines in places, which improves
as the performance progresses but is particularly noticeable during the
Prelude. When the cellos enter with their flowing version of the Rhine
motif, they are simply not clearly audible against the sustained E flat
chord on the horns and woodwind (CD 1, track 1 1.38). When one consults the
booklet, the reason is clear to see. Wagner, with his tuned ear for
orchestral balance, specifies twelve cellos in his orchestra for the
Ring; here we have to make do with a niggardly eight. The reduction
of the forces to two-thirds of those required is simply inadequate. There is
a similar sense of undermanning in the lyrical cello phrases which end the
outburst following Alberich’s curse (CD 2, track 7 3.22). The numbers
of strings throughout are fewer than those the composer requested, which may
lead to a greater clarity of texture but seriously unbalances the orchestral
sound in places.

Of the two ‘imported’ singers René Pape - who
also sang the role of Wotan in Gergiev’s Walküre - is the
more known quantity. He is a singer in the Wagnerian lyric bass mode rather
than the more conventional heroic bass-baritone. Even so, he has no
difficulty with the high notes. His pointing of the text often pays
dividends even when the sense of the lust for domination which drives the
character is missing without the visual aspect of the drama which was so
apparent in his assumption of the role on DVD for Barenboim.

Stephan Rügamer as Loge is more problematic. Singers of this
role tend to fall into one of two categories: either a heroic tenor who can
encompass the more lyrical sections of the part, or else pure character
tenors of smaller voice but more pungent tone. Rügamer unfortunately
seems to fall between these two stools. His voice is basically lyrical, but
it seems to be a couple of sizes too small to cope with the Wagnerian
orchestra - or else he is set too far back within the audio balance.

One would expect a Russian theatre to be able to furnish magnificent
bass voices by the dozen, and in the casting of the two giants the Mariinsky
does not disappoint. Both Evgeny Nikitin and Mikhail Petrenko have all the
vocal attributes required, but the essential distinction between the
romantically smitten Fasolt and his more practical and brutal brother is
hardly suggested here. Alexei Markov is a magnificent Donner, sending out
his challenge to the thunder in ringing tones. On the other hand Sergei
Semishkur is simply inadequate as Froh, frequently close to inaudible and
totally lacking in any sense of presence until his disclosure of the Rainbow
Bridge which is delivered in reedy rather than lyrical tones. It is hard to
believe that, as the booklet notes inform us, he includes the role of
Rodolfo in La Bohème among his repertoire.

The only tenor in this set who produces real volume is Andrei Popov
in his short cameo as Mime at the beginning of Scene Three. His blatant
disregard for Wagner’s written notes does the music no favours
whatsoever. As his brother Nikolai Putilin similarly makes a number of
slips. His delivery of the line “Auf den Fersen folg’ ich euch
nach!” (CD 2, track 6 4.12) departs wildly from Wagner’s
notation in a manner that is by no means justified by the dramatic
situation. He also makes some very noticeable alterations of the German
vowel sounds. One notes that his principal career is devoted to Russian and
French opera, and he seems decidedly unhappy with the German language. He is
very laid-back during the opening scene, concerned more with the production
of beautiful sounds than drama - as are the mellifluous Rhinemaidens. He
singularly fails to supply us with Alberich’s “mocking
laugh” after the theft of the gold as Wagner indicates in the score.
In fact the whole set, like Marek Janowski’s older traversal from the
1980s, omits all the sound effects that John Culshaw supplied so plentifully
in the old Solti Decca cycle in 1958 - not even Wagner’s request for
the Nibelungs to scream at the sight of the Ring when Alberich wields it. We
do of course get the anvils during the Descent to Nibelheim and during the
later interlude, but they sound very musical and indeed almost as if the
sound has been ‘piped in’ from offstage; especially noticeable
as they fade into the distance. A similar effect is used for Erda’s
warning (well sung by Zlata Bulycheva) but the Rheintöchter in
the final bars sound very much present to the ear, simply placed at the rear
of the stage. Donner’s notated hammer-blow on the rock is avoided
altogether, and during the following passage where the Rainbow Bridge is
disclosed one misses the shimmer supplied by Wagner’s carefully
notated six harps - only two players are credited in the booklet.

In short, despite Gergiev’s often impassioned conducting, this
set is simply short on dramatic impetus. The climaxes all seem to be much of
a piece with each other, with the result that the music sounds rather
short-winded; and the singing, as I have indicated, is too uneven in quality
to be sufficient compensation. This is a performance that one would be quite
happy to encounter in the opera house - there is plenty of incident - and
were the competition in this repertoire less ferocious one would welcome
this release. Given the presence in the catalogue of so many superb
recordings, as a set for repeated listening at home the flaws are too many
to bear frequent repetition.